Resources on Data Retention

In recent years, some governments have imposed or considered imposing legal mandates requiring Internet and other communications service providers to retain certain data about all of their users, so that it will be available when sought by government agents. These mandates threaten privacy, free expression, and business development and innovation. Here are CDT resources on data retention. These are intended to be of assistance to civil society advocates evaluating national proposals for such mandates; these materials may also be of interest to government officials, businesses and journalists.

Data Retention Mandates: Analyzing a Draft Law(April 2012) – Introduces the concept of a data retention law and offers a hypothetical statute of the type that might be introduced in any country around the world. A set of questions is then used to guide the reader through an evaluation of the law. [doc] [pdf]